


switching souls

by sailormatcha



Series: Soulmates [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 14:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14875724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailormatcha/pseuds/sailormatcha
Summary: SOULMATE AU. "She removed her hands from her eyes and opened them. The damp palms that stared back were not her own, and the room she sat in was not the banquet hall. Looking down at her lower half, she noticed the gleam of something against the hard, flat chest she now had. Dogtags. She picked up the jewelry and looked at the name printed onto them. Cor Leonis."





	switching souls

**Author's Note:**

> An installment in the Soulmates series, which is a collection of stories across several different fandoms, concerning my original characters and their love interests. Please enjoy!
> 
> AN: Switching Souls: You switch with your soulmate for an hour on New Years after the younger of the two has turned 18.

It was the first time her parents had let her come to the “adult gathering” they attended every time the end of the year came around. Though she had asked to come earlier, they told her that no one under the age of eighteen attended, so when she finally came of age earlier that year, she was excited to take part in the New Year’s festivities, especially the one hour firework show that King Regis put on from the palace. The Crown City was decorated in beautiful lights, as it was for the entire month of December. Though she hated the cold, she loved the magical feeling that the end of the year brought.

The party was less, just  _ less _ , than she expected. She had been raised on tradition and a strict home life, and thought that the end of the year party her parents and their coworkers held was something of extravagance, something that she read in books with loud music and games and fun, but it was just another get together, with steady-talking people and fake smiles. Her parents escorted her around to introduce her to their acquaintances, much to her displeasure.

“Why, Sage, the last time I saw you, you were a mere lass. You have grown into such a lovely lady.” One woman said.

“We are quite proud of her.” Her father said from her side, gingered whiskers following the curve of his upper lip.

The woman’s eyes dazzled as he spoke to him. “Will she follow in Vatavia’s footsteps and work for the investigative unit?”

Her Father’s eyes scanned the room for his wife’s figure, who spoke to another woman in the corner of the large hall. “We don’t discuss her work with little Sage much. Besides, I think she has taken a liking to the bookstore.”

Sage turned slightly to meet her father’s eyes. He always sounded so sad, so reserved,  when he spoke about the bookstore that had been in the Manos family for centuries. Like it kept him from speaking what was on his mind, like it was a weight in their lives. It was true; though her mother despised the store, she still kept it open because of its rich history in the city and the importance it held to their family. She felt entitled to it.

After the woman had said goodbye, her father walked towards Vatavia, leaving Sage to roam around the party as she pleased. She didn’t travel far, but instead admired the artwork and sculptures around her.

When the night drew closer to it’s end, a young waitress walked around offering glasses to all of the guests. Sage took one, even though if her parents had been close by, they would have disapproved. The liquid in the crystal glass swirled around its circumference, as her pale hands moved it in a circular motion. The crowd of guests gathered on the balcony of the hall, which overlooked most of the main city. After a few experimental sips of the sparkling drink, Sage could already feel a faint blurriness behind her eyes, something she had never felt before. Leaning against a pillar near the balcony doors, she listened with unadjusted ears as the crowd started to count down from ten. Before they even got to five, Sage had downed as much of the drink as she could. Somewhere between the chant of “one” and the burst of the first Crown City firework, everything went black.

She felt something hard against her back, and realised when she began to stir awake that she had been holding her head in her hands. She felt heavier than usual. Did she faint because of the alcohol? There was the muffled sound of fireworks around her. A small sound left her mouth in her discomfort, but the pitch was an obvious low unlike any noise she had ever made before. She removed her hands from her eyes and opened them. The damp palms that stared back were not her own, and the room she sat in was not the banquet hall. Looking down at her lower half, she noticed the gleam of something against the hard, flat chest she now had. Dogtags. She picked up the jewelry and looked at the name printed onto them. Cor Leonis.

 

“Sage… Sage!!” A voice called out. His body was being shaken. Why was he laying on the ground? He opened his eyes, noticing the white marble tile beneath him. Before he could question why he wasn’t in the barracks anymore, he was being hoisted up by the arm.

“What the hell?” He asked as he stared at a woman with long blonde hair and an amethyst colored dress. Her arms fell to her sides as he continued defensively. “Where am I?”

The woman only stared at him like she had been betrayed. The crowd,  _ crowd _ , around him starred as well. Where in the world was he? Who were these people? Why did he feel as though he had spent a night drinking with the other soldiers in the guard?  _ Why _ was he wearing a skirt?! His eyes grew wide as he grasped at the deep green tulled that laid against his legs.  _ This is not my body… _

Another pair of hands touched him, this time, grasping his shoulder gently. “Sage, why don’t we take you home? It seems you aren’t feeling well.” A man with red hair and equally red beard gazed at him with caring eyes. Unable to think of what to say or do, he let the man guide the body that wasn’t his towards the entrance of the hall. The man picked up their coats and walked them to an old car parked near the building. The fireworks were still going strong. Cor realized that the body he now possesed was slightly intoxicated, as he was having a hard time walking. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but what he was sure of was that this tiny body needed water as soon as possible. He caught a glimpse of his new face in the side mirror of the car, which took him a bit off guard. She, whoever she was, was beautiful. Hair, the color of a young flame, freckles against her small pointed nose, and bright green eyes, the size of moons. He couldn’t help but pick up his,  _ her _ , hand, and touch the slightly pink cheeks.

The man, her father he guessed, now that Cor was comparing hair colors, coughed a little, grabbing his attention. His voice was clear and gentle, like he was speaking to a child. “Please don’t worry about your mother. She was only worried about you, so when you lashed back at her like that, she probably didn’t know how to react.” His knuckles turned a little paler as he gripped the steering wheel. “I know you are a little more reserved around her than you truly are inside. So she might be a little surprised when your flicker starts to catch fire.” He laughed a little.

Cor didn’t quite understand what he meant, but nodded anyways, deciding that he should try to keep character until he could figure out how to return to his own body. They arrived at a modest looking shop, where a sign hung above the door reading: “Manos Library.” He followed the father inside, but tripped over an uneven board near the entrance. The father caught him, and started to walk with him. “Don’t tell her about the champagne at the party.” He laughed again. He escorted him through the store, completely filled with books, up a flight of wooden stairs and through a small kitchen. Soon they arrived to a plain white door. 

“Will you be alright for the night? I need to head back to the party.” He said.

He nodded again.

“Well, alright then. Goodnight sweetie.” He gave him a pat on the top of his head. A chill ran through him. He wasn’t used to all these touchy gestures.

When he couldn’t hear the father’s retreating footsteps anymore, he turned the knob of the white door and let himself inside. The interior was just as plain as the door itself. Minimal furniture and a tidiness that didn’t shock him after seeing the rest of the home. After flicking on the overhead light, he searched the dresser in the corner of the room. He had to get out of that skirt.

He let out a sigh. “Seriously? Does this girl own a pair of pants?” He disregarded the clothes onto the floor, telling himself that he would pick them up later. Soon he found a small book, buried in the depths of button-up blouses and skirts. It intrigued him enough that he stopped what he was doing, and walked over to the single bed near the window. He flipped through it’s pages, and realizing that it was some sort of journal, he pondered if he should continue, but after convincing himself that since he  _ was _ technically in Sage’s body, and it  _ was _ technically his, he continued. He skimmed through entries until he came to the most recent.

“....I have been looking into the crownsguard recently. I have always dreamed of being apart of it, just like mother is, but father has asked me to keep this away from her since it would only upset her. I do not understand why I have to uphold my family’s traditions if she is able to stray and follow her dreams.”

 

The entry went on, but Cor closed the leather bound pocket book. He recalled the name on the outside of the bookstore.  _ Manos… Manos… Manos… _ He tried to figure out where he had heard it before, but nothing came to mind. Suddenly, the face of the woman who had woken him up flashed in his brain. Though she was dolled up from head to toe, she was unmistakably the head of the interrogation unit on the investigation team. He remembered the horror stories that the other soldiers would say about her, about the torture that she would inflict on those against the crown. They also spoke of the demons that plagued her, that to give so much pain without actually killing is actually worse than the killing itself. Is this the work that Sage wrote about in her journal? Cor pictured the reflection he had seen in the car mirror. This gentle girl could never do the harm that her mother has done. He wondered if she even knew the work and sacrifice of mind that Vatavia Manos had gone through.

He noticed a pen in a small mug on the nightstand near the bed. An idea came to mind, and he began to write on the page after her last entry, thankful that her drunkenness had subsided enough for him to write legibly. 

  
  


Sage paced the small space, unable to think clearly. How did this happen? Why was she suddenly a man? Who is this Cor Leonis fellow, and what in the world of Eos did he have to do with her? Nothing added up.

She stopped pacing enough to look into the tiny mirror leaning against the wall atop

his dresser. He was clean-cut, but bruised. From the dogtags, to the miscellaneous weapons that scattered the room, to the enormous muscles of his arms and entire body really, she figured that he was a soldier. There was still a bit of dampness under the blue eyes that stared back at her. She wondered why this man was crying on such a joyous night?

A sigh escaped her and she sat back on the hard bed she had found herself propped against when she awoke. It had been approximately twenty four minutes since she woke in Cor Leonis’ body, and the only thing that she had figured out is that this man was massive, and that he was most-likely prancing around in her body somewhere around the Crown City. She was at a loss, unable to think of what to do. She tried to think of what her father or mother would have done. Her family. It was the only thing she was ever certain of.

A sudden gleam caught her eye as she stared down at the massive boots on her feet. She reached down under the bed and picked up a small, glossy photo. As she studied it, she realized it was a small boy, only a baby, with surprisingly thick curly brown hair. There was no information on the back, but Sage noticed by how worn it was, that it was either a very old photo, or that it was handled a lot. No matter which it was, she guessed it was important to him. She wondered if it was him as a baby, since their features were so alike. She placed the photo inside her pocket.

After much deliberation, she decided that she would make her way back to her home, to see if she could figure any of her situation out, or hopefully, find this stranger with her body.

She realized as she was leaving that her hunch had been correct, as she passed a sign that marked the facilities as a soldiers barracks. What she hadn’t realized, was that he was such a high ranking soldier, as she noticed the word “crownsguard training area” on one of the buildings. No wonder he was so buff. As she found her way to a main road, undetected, she let out the breath she was holding. Thankful that she didn’t have to pretend to be a crownsguard soldier, she began to briskly jog towards the east side of the city. The body she was now in was in great shape, enough that she was able to make it all the way to the street where the bookstore was located without needing to take a break, even in the frigid temperature. As she approached the store, however, she felt a twinge of something she had never felt before in her chest, as if something were pulling her inside. She stood before the door, and reached for the handle. Once the cool metal touched her fingertips, her mind went black again.

 

Suddenly she was in her room, staring out the window at the fading light of the last bursts of the firework show. She blinked a couple of times and looked around her, gasping at the clothes that scattered the floor. Her attire was still the same as it had been before she switched, and she thanked all of the Gods individually that Cor Leonis had not undressed her while he was in her body. She tried not to think of if it was his intention or not, but would surely ask him about it later. A gasp escaped her as she realized that she had lead his body directly to her, and wondered if she were to go downstairs, if he would be there.

Before she could decide if she would go down to greet him or not, she noticed that her journal had been placed open on her nightstand. Her eyes widened. “He didn’t…” She whispered to herself, knowing fully well that he had found her hidden stash of words and had the  _ audacity _ to actually read them! She huffed towards it, picked it up in her hands, and prepared herself to go downstairs and give him a piece of her mind, but as she looked down at it’s contents, she noticed a handwriting that was not hers. She read the tiny words over and over again in her mind, until they were tattooed against the inside of her eyelids, against her blurry, tear stained vision, as she ran down the stairs, through the bookstore, and towards the main entrance.

“ _ Not all soldiers fight wars. Be your own soldier and she will accept you.” _

Sage unlocked the door, pulled it open, and stared up at Cor’s squinted blue eyes. She hadn’t realized how tall he was while she was running all over Insomnia as him. Her eyes scanned down his body and stopped on his right hand, which gripped the picture of the young boy she had found earlier. She stepped back, allowing him to enter the store. He made sure to step over the uneven board he had stumbled over earlier that night. The door shut with a  _ click  _ behind him. He noticed in her hand was the journal he had written in shortly before they switched back.

Her voice surprised him. “Sorry I made you run all the way here in the cold.”

He chuckled a little. “Sorry I made a mess of your room and read through your journal.”

This made her laugh too. “I’ve already forgiven you.”

A silence surrounded them, thick with unanswered questions and awareness of how strange their situation had been. Neither one of them dared to ask about it, instead, they simple gazed at each other, taking in the usual bond they had formed in just an hour. Cor’s eyes widened when he realized that Sage’s cheeks had turned a bright pink. 

“I shouldn’t intrude anymore than I already have.” He said, turning his body towards the door. He was able to open the door enough to feel the chilly breeze before he felt her arms slither under his biceps and embrace his torso from behind. He looked over his shoulder, barely able to see her red hair. He wanted to question her, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Luckily, she answered him before he could even get it out.

“It’s the only way I know how to thank you.”

He picked up his hand enough to look down at the picture he held. “Don’t mention it.”

After she finally let go, he left without looking back at her, knowing that he too was wearing a blush of his own. On his way back to the barracks, he memorized the roads so that he would remember them when he would inevitably miss her, this captivating stranger of a soul, the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> Sage Manos, in the canon world of FFXV, is a 39 year old bookstore owner that survives the fall of Insomnia. After the fall, she finds herself in the clutches of the enemy, and is saved by Cor and Monica. Using her wit and abilities in investigation, she finds purpose in helping the remaining crownsguard.
> 
> The photo, for anyone that might have been confused, is the baby picture of another original character who is not of my creation. His name is Elijah Sinclair, the son of Cor. The owner of said OC is AO3 user @maccreadys.


End file.
